Simple Love
by Stormess
Summary: When the brother of new CSI, Jessica Chase, is murdered, Horatio vows to find the killer. Along the way, Jessica and Horatio's past catches up with them and threatens to tear them apart, or bring them back into each others arms.
1. Blast From The Past

_The sharp sound of a phone ringing broke the silence of nineteen-year-old Jessica Chase's small apartment. She groaned softly and turned over, reaching for her phone, though she was still halfway asleep. Her hand finally closed around the receiver and she brought it to her ear, mumbling softly "Chase here…"_

_She was so sleepy that she didn't understand what the voice on the other end was saying, but after a moment something in her mind clicked. Blue eyes opened and she pushed herself up, listening hard to the voice on the other end of the line, it was one she'd never heard before. All she could comprehend was that whoever was on the line knew what she was wearing and had threatened to kill her._

_Fear and panic surged through her at the words, and she was out of her bed in a heartbeat, dropping her phone on the cool, hardwood floor. She reached her bedroom door and opened it, screaming when she saw a man standing behind the door. Turning as fast as she could, she ran for the bathroom door that was across the room._

Before she could reach the door, the man grabbed her and fought her down to the floor, despite her kicks, screams and flailing about. The thin silk gown she had on was ripped straight down the middle, causing an even greater fear to surge through her. She could hear him undoing his jeans and her heart nearly stopped; he was about to rape her.

That had been four years ago and still the nightmares haunted her on an almost weekly basis even though she knew the man who'd done it was locked away. She'd moved all the way from New York down to Miami to get away from all of the memories, but the past seemed to follow her. When she was still living in New York, she'd gone to college and had gotten a degree in forensics, wanting to help other people the way she'd been helped.

Jessica had known she would be transferred to the crime lab here in Miami, and today was the day that she'd be starting her new job with them. Stepping from her bathroom into the bedroom, she looked at herself in the mirror to make sure she looked good for her first day of work. She had chosen a pair of black dress slacks, a light blue button up shirt and a black jacket with some comfortable heels.

Her hair, she had left down for the most part, pulling some of it back and clipping it into place, the soft curls resting along the line of her back. Walking from her bedroom, she picked up her keys, also sliding her gun into it's holster at her waist, her badge also resting there next to her gun. She went outside and locked her front door before going out to her car, a silver suv, getting inside and buckling up before starting it up.

It would take her about twenty minutes to get to the Miami-Dade Police department and crime lab building, but the drive there would help to calm her. She'd been given the job, but she was set to have an evaluation with the head of the crime lab, and she hadn't met that person yet. Jess knew she was a good CSI, but changing cities was always a big leap in this line of work, you never knew what kind of leaders were heading up crime labs.

Reaching over, she turned on her police radio to see if there was anything going on in the city that day. It was relatively quiet, which was somewhat of a relief since she'd heard that Miami was one of the cities that had a pretty high crime record. She had just come to a stop at a redlight when she heard the call come in from dispatch.

"Well, looks like business just picked up in Miami." She said as she turned on the police lights and sirens that were equipped to her car, turning and heading down another street toward the crime scene. Picking up her radio she spoke into it "This is Jessica Chase, badge number 3882, I'm a block from the crime scene. ETA is one minute."

Keeping her eyes on the road, she sped up, the suspect was reportedly still on the scene and she couldn't let him get away if she could help it. Turning the wheel hard, she spun her suv around and threw it into park, drawing her gun and getting out of the car, looking toward the house. Glancing around the area, she ran up the walkway to the door, her heart beating fast in her chest.

Taking a light breath, she took a step back and then kicked the door open, her arms outstretched with the gun held tightly in her hands. Her eyes took in the scene, blood all over the living room area, the body of a young woman not far away from where she was standing. Cautiously, she went over to the woman and knelt down, her eyes still glancing around the room as she used one hand to reach down and check for a pulse.

Not finding one, she stood back up and started to walk toward the hallway, a shadow from the kitchen catching her eye. "Miami-Dade PD, freeze!" Just as she thought would happen, the man took off running and she took off right after him out the back door. He leapt over a low wall in the back yard and she followed him right over it, putting her gun back into it's holster as she ran.

Pushing herself to run faster, she reached out with both hands, grabbing the back of his shirt and jerking hard to take him down to the ground. Both of them rolled when they hit the ground and she was back on her feet in an instant. When he got up, he came up swinging, luckily she was able to duck under the fist before it hit her.

She swung next, her right hand connecting with his stomach and making him double over a bit, but not enough to take him down. Acting quickly, she swung again and caught his left jaw with a punch that sent him to the ground. Following him down, she put her knee in the middle of his back and pulled a pair of handcuffs out of their place on her belt.

Starting to pull his hands back to cuff him, she spoke, her breathing fast from the chase and the adrenaline rush "You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you." When she got him cuffed, she pulled him up onto his feet, "You stupid bitch, you got nothing on me for this!"

Rolling her eyes, she gave him a shove back toward the scene of the crime, "That's what they all say, smart ass." She got him back over the wall and led him around to the front of the house, raising a slight eyebrow at the two crime lab hummers, four patrol cars and two unmarked cars. They sure were very high tech here in Miami, but that was a good thing to know that there was a decent cavalry when you needed one.

Frank Tripp, the detective for the Miami-Dade Police Department came up to her with a slightly shocked look on his face, "You catch that scum all by yourself?" Jessica nodded and gave the man a shove toward Frank, "He's a mouthy one, you might want to remind him of his rights again." She said as she took a moment to look herself over and brush some of the dirt and dust off of her clothes.

Feeling eyes on her, she glanced up, her blue eyes landing on the form of a man standing a few feet away from her. He was dressed in a black suit with a white button-up shirt, dress shoes and dark sunglasses. Light red hair was the first thing she really noticed because something about this man was so familiar that it nearly gave her chills even in the hundred degree weather of Miami in the summer time.

A couple of CSI's started into the house along with the coroner, and she watched them before turning her eyes back toward the man in black. He caught her gaze this time and started to walk toward her, a light breeze blowing his coat open a bit to reveal his badge and gun. Lucky for her he was one of them so she didn't have to worry too much, or at least she hoped she didn't.

The closer he got, the more nervous she got, something about this man was enough to make her heart skip a beat. Problem was, he was just too familiar for some reason, and she didn't like that feeling since she was so far from New York now, she didn't want to feel that she knew anyone down here in Miami.

Glancing away from him, she turned her head to the side, appearing to study the grass next to her, hoping for a fast retreat. He came to a stop just in front of her, and a familiar smell came around her, making her shiver a bit. It was a clean scent, but still very masculine, a touch of something else she couldn't put her finger on was in there as well.

Horatio Caine slid his glasses off and tilted his head a bit, a light smirk crossing his lips as he watched her for a few moments. When he'd seen her come around the side of the house, he had known who she was and the sight of her had tugged at his heart. Glancing down a bit, he looked to her and then shifted a bit before speaking, "That was nice work Miss Chase." He said in that low, even voice that was unique to only him and no one else.

That voice, Jessica knew that voice better than she knew her own voice sometimes, it was a sound that never left her mind. Slowly, she turned her head to look up at the man who had been her savior back in New York, Horatio Caine. Not able to help it, a light blush crossed her cheeks as she looked up into those blue eyes of his that made her heart melt and her knees weak.

"Its been a while…Horatio…" She said softly as she glanced away from him to break the intense gaze they were sharing at the moment. He nodded before moving his coat aside and putting his hands on his slim hips, her eyes following the movement for a few seconds before she looked away again. Tension was thick in the air between the two of them, too much had happened in their past for this meeting up again to be peaceful.

"If I remember correctly, its been four years." He said as he shifted a bit and gave a light smile to her. Nodding a bit, she looked back up at him for a minute, feeling that all too familiar warmth spread through her at the very sight of this man. After he'd saved her in New York, they had grown very close to each other, spending more and more time together until they ended up becoming lovers.


	2. Memories Of Us

It had started out innocently enough; she'd invited him to come inside for coffee when he'd come by to see if she was still ho

_It had started out innocently enough; she'd invited him to come inside for coffee when he'd come by to see if she was still holding up alright. She was fresh out of the bath, wrapped in a black silk robe that clung to her still damp body. A little over a month had gone by since she'd been attacked, and she was at ease with him being near her._

_He had been watching her move around the kitchen to fix coffee and had become completely entranced by her. Moving from the living room into the kitchen, he took his suit jacket off and placed it over the back of a kitchen chair. Reaching to his side, he removed his gun and badge, along with the rest of those kinds of things, placing them onto the table._

_Turning back toward her, he walked up behind her, placing his hands gently onto her shoulders to keep her from moving about the kitchen. She stilled under his touch, but didn't tense up like he'd expected, a sign that meant she trusted him, which was a start. Gently, he pulled her body up against his, her back pressed tight against his chest._

_Jessica let herself be pulled into his embrace, closing her eyes a bit from the warmth of his body and the feelings he brought out in her. Her train of thought was cut short as he slid his hands down her arms until he was gently holding her hands. Raising his arms up a bit, he brought her hands up and moved them gently to the back of his neck._

_When she didn't protest, he released her hands and slid his own back down her arms, moving his hands slowly along her sides to her waist. She closed her eyes at his touch, leaning into his body while her hands played with his soft hair. Leaning down, he placed a soft kiss onto her shoulder, letting his hands slide up the front of her body slowly._

_His hands cupped her breasts through the silk of her robe, liking the way they fit perfectly into his hands. Moving to the side a bit, he reached down and lifted her off of her feet, one arm behind her back and the other under her legs. Turning around, he walked from the kitchen, carrying her through the living room and up the stairs to her bedroom._

_Her eyes looked up at him, trusting this man completely as he walked over to the bed and gently laid her down. Watching her relax onto her bed, he slid his shoes and socks off before undoing his pants and pulling them off. His shirt followed before he moved over her, their blue eyes meeting, "If this isn't what you want, Jessica, tell me and I'll leave."_

_She shook her head in response, her hands moving to rest on his chest, "Please don't leave me, Horatio…"A nod came from him before he leaned down and kissed her softly, one of his hands moving to run through her hair. Jess slid her arms around his shoulders, kissing him back as a shiver slid through her body. The feel of his strong body over hers and the gentleness of his kiss was almost enough to completely throw her senses into disarray. _

_Careful not to put all of his weight on her, he reached between them and untied her robe, pushing it open to reveal her smooth skin. He trailed kisses from her lips down her neck, his hands gently untangling her from the robe and tossing it aside. Horatio gently took her hands into his, meshing their fingers together as he moved between her legs, his eyes looking down into hers._

_Shifting a bit, Jess got comfortable beneath him, blushing lightly as she looked up at him to meet his heated gaze. Gently, he moved, pushing himself into her slowly, watching as her eyes grew darker while he slid into the welcoming heat of her body. He stilled himself when he was fully inside her, his body shaking a bit from the pleasure of being inside her like this._

_Jessica moaned softly beneath him, her eyes sliding closed as she squeezed his hands, her back arching a bit. She wasn't used to the feeling of having a man inside her, filling her so completely that it nearly took her breath away. His lips moved along her neck, giving her time to adjust to him before he moved. "Horatio…I need…I need something…I don't know I just need." She whimpered softly as she shifted beneath him a bit, wanting and needing more from him._

_He let go of her hands and reached down to her waist, resting one hand there while his other moved to her left leg and pulled it against his waist. She did the same with her other leg, her arms sliding around his shoulders and holding him close to her. Horatio held her gently as he started to move, sliding almost all the way out of her before pushing back in again._

_The movement dragged a soft, low moan from Jessica's throat, her hips lifting up to meet his when he pushed back inside her. Leaning down he kissed her softly as he started to move faster, using her reactions to guide him to what she liked. Their bodies moved together, soft moans coming from each of them until pleasure took over and lead them both into ecstasy._

_After their bodies were sated, she lay beneath him, his head cradled on her shoulder, their bodies still connected in that intimate way. He breathed softly, one of his hands gently stroking her side, comfortable here in her arms, surrounded by her in all ways possible. She had her arms wrapped loosely around him, pressing her lips to his forehead while she stroked his firey red hair, happy to just feel him with her._

_Shifting a bit, he looked down at her, placing a soft kiss onto her lips before brushing some of her hair back from her face. "I love you, angel." He said softly as he nuzzled into her neck, breathing in her scent, imprinting it into his memory. Jessica smiled softly and kissed him back just as softly before cradling him against her. "I love you too, Horatio Caine. God help me, I love you more than life itself…" She whispered into his ear, falling into silence as they drifted to sleep in each others arms._

Heat rushed to her face as she remembered that first night with him, clearing her throat a bit as she looked back up at him. "I'm sorry, but I've got to get to work, I have an interview there that I'm already late for." She said as she slid her sunglasses back on and started toward her car. Horatio turned and slid his own sunglasses back into place, "Miss Chase, I believe you've already passed your interview." Hearing this, she came to a stop and turned to look back at him, not sure what he was talking about.

Walking over to her again, he tilted his head to look at her, "You were coming to see me at the crime lab, but that won't be necessary, you've passed the interview." Jessica was a little shocked to hear that he was going to be her commanding officer at the lab, this was the last thing she needed right now. She already knew that her feelings for Horatio were still strong, and this working relationship would only lead to trouble.


	3. Devastation

Two weeks had passed since Jessica had been transferred to the Miami-Dade crime lab, having moved there from New York. She was sitting in her lab, completely swamped with cases she was working on at the moment. It seemed like a never ending battle with tests and paperwork, she was working double shifts and overtime just to stay caught up. The working conditions were good, she was just kept busy all the time and barely had room to breathe.

Skilled hands worked with the evidence from one of the cases, her blue eyes always watching everything, every minute detail of her work. These people deserved the best and that was what she was going to give them, it was her job to do this the same way the people who handled her case had done. Lifting the paper off the printer, she examined the DNA analysis of a blood sample she'd been working on for the last few minutes.

She was more than aware that Horatio Caine, the leader of the crime lab, almost constantly had his eyes on her when he was in the building. Every time he was near, she could feel his eyes on her, causing her to tense up, but never acknowledging that he was there. It was starting to grate on her nerves, knowing that he was watching her constantly, almost like he was just waiting for her to screw something up. That thought alone was enough to irk her in more ways than one, she was a capable CSI and wouldn't put up with, what she thought, was intense scrutiny from him.

The words on the paper she held in her hands made no sense to her at the moment, she could feel his eyes on her, nearly burning her. Closing her eyes for a moment, she let out a breath and then looked over the paper again, making notes in the file before putting the paper inside and closing it. When she turned around, he wasn't there, and that was one thing that pissed her off more than him watching her, he didn't want to be caught at it.

Her beeper went off and she jumped a bit before looking down at the device, seeing the emergency message from Frank Tripp. Taking off her lab coat, she hung it up before walking out and picking up her kit, starting toward the elevator. Reaching up, she pressed the button to go down, waiting on the door to open as she ran a hand through her hair. When the door opened, she started to step inside, stopping when she saw Horatio already standing there in font of her.

"Lieutenant, I don't have time for a chat, I've been paged and I have a crime scene to go to." She said as she put a hand on her hip. He tilted his head a bit with a light smile, "As it happens, I am on the same case. Allow me to drive you there." Not wanting to get into an argument, she stepping onto the elevator and stood as far from him as she could get, taking her sunglasses out of her pocket and sliding them on.

The silence in the elevator was tense, neither of them looking toward the other, so many things had happened between them already. Sighing softly, Horatio reached out and pressed the emergency stop button on the elevator before looking toward her. Jessica jumped a bit and turned to him, sliding her sunglasses up onto her head, a serious look on her face, "We have a case to get to, evidence could be compromised and that's the last thing this lab needs, Horatio."

He let her finish before he turned to her with an equally serious look on his face, "There is something about this case, CSI Chase, that I think you should know." Again with the around in circles game, she rubbed her temples out of habit and irritation with him. "What is so important that you stop us in an elevator to tell me, when you could just tell me on the way there?" She asked as she dropped her hand back to her side. "The victim, Miss Chase, is a man named Joseph Daniel…Chase…" He said carefully, watching her reactions to the information.

Everything seemed to come to a complete stop as the name left his mouth, she was completely frozen in place. The CSI kit fell out of her hand and crashed to the floor, spilling the all of the equipment out onto the floor. "No…your lying to me…its not him, it can't be. He…he's in New York with our family…its not him!" She cried as she started to shake almost violently, tears filling her eyes and spilling over in a matter of seconds. Her world was going black, heart racing and barely being able to breathe as her brain tried to reject the facts.

Horatio rushed forward and caught her when she started to fall, holding her tightly against him and stroking her hair. "Shh, its alright sweetheart, I've got you. Breathe for me Jessica, come on now, you've got to breathe." He said softly as he reached out and pressed the ground floor button on the elevator panel so it would take them to the parking garage. Looking back down at her, he turned her head to face him, "Jessica, you need to breathe right now."

She took in a gasping breath and screamed against his chest, breaking down completely as the pain and reality finally set in. His eyes closed and he held her tighter, whispering softly to her as the doors opened to the garage. Eric Delko and Ryan Wolfe took in the sight before them and remained quiet, watching Horatio for instructions on what they should do. It was easy to tell that something was going on, and they were more than willing to accept orders from their boss on what to do.

Glancing up, Horatio looked at the two men before lifting Jessica up into his arms and stepping off of the elevator. "Gentlemen, one of you please collect Miss Chase's kit and then inform Frank that I will be taking her home, personally." He said as he cradled her body against his in a protective manner, knowing the pain she was going through since he'd lost his own brother, Raymond.

Eric nodded before speaking up softly, "Don't worry about it, H. We'll take her kit back to the lab, just let us know how she is when you can." Horatio nodded and then started toward his CSI issued Hummer, "When I know, gentlemen, you will know." Without another word, he opened the passenger door to the vehicle and placed her inside, putting her seatbelt on her before closing the door. Coming to his own side, he got in, buckled up and started the engine, pulling out of the garage and onto the highway.

After watching them leave, Ryan turned and looked up at Eric, "What do you think that was all about?" Eric shook his head a bit and looked toward the elevator car, "I don't know, but whatever it is has Jessica upset pretty bad." The younger CSI nodded and started picking up the pieces of her kit, placing them back inside with care. Kneeling down, Delko did the same until they'd gotten it all back into order, taking the elevator up to the main floor of the crime lab.


	4. Comfort Me

Horatio glanced over at Jessica, slightly worried about her since she was just staring blankly out of the window. Reaching over, he took his hand into his and gave it a gentle squeeze, "Don't you lose it on me, Jessica." She heard his voice and felt the squeeze of her hand, but she didn't react to either of them, she was just so numb and confused that she was having to tell herself to continue breathing so she didn't pass out.

Turning off of the main highway, he went down the street to her house, pulling the Hummer into the driveway and parking it. Stepping out, he walked around to her side and opened the door, undoing her seatbelt and lifting her out of the vehicle. After locking up the car, he walked up to her door and used her keys to unlock it, carrying her inside and closing the door with his foot. Careful as always, he put her down on the couch and knelt in front of her, "Jessica, I'm going to go to the kitchen for a minute, I'm not leaving."

She didn't say anything back to him, just sitting there on the couch with her eyes blank, almost emotionless. Standing back to his feet, Horatio walked into her kitchen and put some water on the stove, heating it while he found a mug and placed a tea bag into it. When the water was hot, he poured the cup full and put a little honey in it, carrying the cup back to the living room and sitting beside her on the couch. "Here, you look like you need this." He said as he gently shifted the mug into her hands before resting his arms on his knees.

The warmth of the mug seeped into her hands, warming her slowly, the smell of the tea and honey making her sigh softly. Lifting it up, she took a drink, fresh tears coming to her eyes, her small body shaking with the force of unshed tears. Reaching out, he took the mug from her hands and put it on the table before pulling her into his arms and holding her gently. "Its alright, I don't want you to worry about anything. I'm going to find out who did this and make sure they never walk out of a prison door." He said softly as he stroked her hair, a fierce protectiveness coming over him.

Finally, Jessica completely broke down, her hands tightly gripping his shirt and jacket, crying into his chest. He let her cry, whispering softly into her ear as he held her against him, doing his best to comfort her. "Why him…damnit Horatio, tell me why it was him!" She cried as she hit his chest a few times until he pinned her arms between them to try and calm her. "Sweetheart, I don't know why." He said as he placed a light kiss on her forehead, his eyes closing a bit.

Being careful with her, he lifted her back into his arms and stood up, walking up the stairs to the second floor. Jessica didn't say anything as he carried her down the hallway to her room, walking inside and putting her down on the bed. "I'm going to step out of the room, find something comfortable to wear and change your clothes." He said before walking out of the room and pulling the door closed behind him to give her some privacy.

For a moment, Jessica just sat on the edge of her bed; so many emotions running through her at one time were making her completely numb. Sighing softly, she stood up and walked over to her closet, pushing the doors open and looking inside. She picked up a pair of cotton shorts and a long t-shirt before closing the doors and stepping back over to her bed.

Lifting her blue silk shirt off, she placed it on the bed before stepping out of her shoes and sliding them under the edge of the bed. Her hands moved to her pants and undid them by habit alone, sliding them off and laying them beside her shirt. She picked up the shorts and pulled them on, letting her hands move behind her back and unclasp her bra before sliding the t-shirt on. Picking up her work clothes and bra, she took them over and put them in the laundry hamper, pausing before walking back and sitting down on her bed.

Horatio stood outside her room, knowing the pain she was going through, and also knowing that no words would ever ease that pain. Someone had killed her brother for a reason, one way or another he was going to figure it out and put the people responsible for it behind bars. Looking back at the door, he gave a soft knock, "Jessica, are you dressed?" He knew he could have entered whenever he wanted to, but in her state, he wanted to make sure he didn't upset her more.

When he spoke, she lifted her head, looking at the door for a minute before while she reached up and took her hair down. "Yes…I'm dressed now…" She said softly as she ran her fingers through her hair and then pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. Opening the door, he stepped into the room and then closed it behind him, walking over and sitting beside her on the bed. His heart ached to see her in so much pain, her eyes holding no sparkle or emotion to them anymore.

He reached over and pulled her to him, cradling her small body against his, one of his hands stroking her hair gently. She wrapped her arms tight around him and let her body take comfort from him being there with her. "Horatio…he never did anything to deserve this…its not fair…" Reaching down, he lifted her head up so he could look into her eyes, "Sweetheart, a lot of times the innocent ones are caught in the middle. I will find out who did this, but you, I need you to stay with me, don't lose yourself over this."

She nodded a bit and then rested her head against his chest again, letting him lay them down on the bed. Horatio's arms held her tightly against him, rubbing her back in soothing circles to try and lull her into sleep. Half of him was heartbroken and the other half was consumed with anger over what had happened to her brother. The man was the only family she'd had left and now that had been taken away from her, it was something he couldn't let go of, not when it was hurting her so bad.

He watched her fall to sleep in his arms, not letting go of her as he leaned in and pressed his lips to her forehead with a soft kiss. Careful not to wake her, he did let go of her for a minute, sliding out of the bed and taking off his suit jacket, laying it in a chair. Leaning down, he untied his shoes and then slid them off, reaching up to undo his shirt and pull it off. When he was finished, he moved back onto the bed with Jessica, pulling her to him, resting her back against his chest, his arms holding her gently as he closed his eyes to get some sleep.


	5. Kidnapped

Horatio was up early the next morning, carefully sliding out of the bed without waking Jessica, pausing at the side of the bed to look at her. The night had been rough for her, but she'd finally settled into a deep sleep, one that she needed badly. Picking up his shirt, he put it back on, buttoning it up and then sliding his suit jacket on over it. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he put his shoes back on and tied them before standing up and taking his cell out of his pocket, stepping out of the room.

Making sure the door was pulled to, he dialed a number on his phone and lifted it up to his ear, "Tripp." Tilting his head a bit, Horatio spoke into the phone, "Frank, where are we on the Chase case? Are there any leads?" The shuffling of papers could be heard over the phone before the detective spoke again, "We found a few prints on the body, Alexx said the cause of death was asphyxiation, but there was a gunshot wound to the heart post-mortem."

"A gunshot wound to the heart after death? Frank, did we find the bullet?" There was a pause and more shuffling of papers, "Alexx dug a bullet out and sent it to Calleigh for analysis, I haven't heard back from her yet. Do you want me to check in with the lab?" Sighing a bit, Horatio spoke up, "No thank you Frank, I will call Calleigh now and see where we are with the bullet. Do me a favor, have Eric run the prints through CODIS and see what we come up with."

"Sure thing, Horatio. How's Jessica holding up?" Frank asked with a genuine concern in his voice for the CSI. "Jessica, is not taking this easy. I want to find who did this Frank, quickly." He replied before hanging up the phone and walking downstairs into the kitchen, running a hand through his hair. Quietly, he poured some water into the coffee maker and turned it on, watching it for a few minutes and then pouring a cup of the hot liquid, adding cream before leaning against the counter.

Opening his phone again, he scrolled through his contacts list to Calleigh's number, pressing the dial button and bringing the phone to his ear. "Horatio, thank God you called, we've all been worried sick about you and Jessica." The southern woman said hurriedly as soon as she answered her cell phone, a light smile crossing Horatio's lips. "We appreciate the concern, but Jessica and I are fine. However, we need some answers, Calleigh."

He could almost see her nodding and gathering the case file before she spoke up again, "The bullet was a nine mil, I ran the striation patterns through AFIS, but came up with nothing." Horatio frowned a bit at the news, "Something does not add up here, Calleigh. Check with Eric and Ryan to see if you can come up with anything. Keep me posted." He said as he hung up his phone and took another drink of his coffee, sighing a bit. It was a given that his team would solve the case, but he was more worried about helping Jessica to find a small form of peace through all of this.

When he finished his coffee, he sat the cup aside and turned toward the doorway of the kitchen. He was met by the still sleepy form of Jessica, giving a soft smile to her, "I see that Sleeping Beauty has finally awoken. How did you sleep, sweetheart?" It took Jessica a few moments before she remembered why he was there. Slowly, she walked over to him, looking up into his eyes, "Horatio, I want to thank-.." A light finger to her lips stopped her words, and she lifted her head a bit more to look at him. "You don't owe me anything, even a thanks for anything."

Reaching up, he brushed her hair back from her face, gently pulling her into his arms for a tight hug, dropping a light kiss on the top of her head. Her arms wrapped around him tightly, a sigh coming from her as she held him, drawing strength and comfort from his arms. She was still numb from the loss of her brother, but she knew that she needed to hold herself together until it was all over and done with. "I know I can't work on Joey's case, but Horatio, I think I should be at work doing something." Jessica said softly before leaning up and kissing his cheek before sliding out of his arms.

Horatio watched her for a few moments, tilting his head down a bit before speaking, "That may not be the best idea, Jessica. But there is something I want you to do for me." She turned to look at him, crossing her arms over her chest, "Horatio, I can't stay in this house all day. I'll go crazy here thinking about him…" He nodded slowly and then looked over at her, "Until we find out who killed Joey, I want you to stay at my place. Whoever did this could come after you too."

"I can't just run from problems, Horatio. I'll be fine here on my own, I can take care of myself just fine." She said as she turned and started to walk from the kitchen until a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her close. He held her tight, but still gently, sighing against her hair before tilting his head and press a soft kiss to her cheek. "Please, stay with me, Jessica. You need to be in a safe location so that nothing happens to you too." He said softly before running a gentle hand along her side, kissing her cheek one more time before letting her go.

Jessica knew he was right, that she could possibly be in danger since they didn't know who had killed her brother yet. Not turning back to look at him, she spoke softly, "I'll meet you at the lab in a few hours." Before he could reply, she turned away from him and went up the stairs toward her room, leaving him looking after her. Tilting his head a bit, he watched her until she was back in her room, reaching into his pocket and taking out his cell as he walked for the front door.

"Eric, I want you to make sure Miss Chase arrives at the lab in two hours. If she doesn't, you call me, immediately." He said before hanging up the phone and walking out the door, closing it and then locking it securely behind him. After getting into the Hummer, he looked back at the house, a little uneasy about leaving her along so soon after all this had happened. Putting the key into the ignition, he started the vehicle and then backed it out of the driveway before heading toward the police station to have a talk with Frank.

She watched him leave from the bedroom window, he was trying to protect her, but she wasn't in the mood to be protected. Moving away from the window, she went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Slowly, she pulled her clothes off and tossed them into the laundry hamper before sliding her fingers through her hair with a light sigh. Stepping into the shower, she tilted her head back and let the water run over her, soothing her tense muscles and helping her to relax even a little bit.

When she finished her shower, she turned the water off and got out, drying herself off and then wrapping a towel around her body. Walking into her room, she picked out some clothes and then changed into them before drying her hair a little more. Picking up a brush, she brushed her hair out and then braided it tightly. Going over to her work clothes, she picked up her gun belt and put it around her waist, clipping her badge and ID there as well.

Reaching down, she pulled out her gun and checked the clip, making sure it was fully loaded and in good working order. Deciding that it was good to go, she clicked the safety on and slid it back into the holster on her hip. Turning, she walked toward the door and slid her shoes on before picking up her keys and walking out of the bedroom, starting to make her way down the stairs. Working would be the best thing for her, but she knew she couldn't touch a single piece of her brothers' case or it would all be ruined.

Coming down the stairs, she took a suit jacket from the coat rack and slid it on before stepping into the kitchen. Opening a cabinet, she took a cup down and filled it with coffee before taking a sip and looking out the window. Glancing at the clock, she sighed and then walked toward the front door, picking her purse up on the way outside. A smile crossed her lips when she saw that Horatio had locked the door securely when he'd left, he was always thinking ahead.

Pulling the door closed behind her, she locked it back and then went over to her car, opening the door and sliding inside. Starting up the car, she pulled out of the driveway and started down the street toward the lab, keeping her attention on the road as she took a sip of coffee. The traffic wasn't bad, which was actually a miracle considering the time of day that it was. "Horatio, I really hope you figure this out soon.." she said softly to herself as she drove toward the crime lab, which was practically a second home for her.

Turning in at the lab, she went toward the parking garage, pulling around to an empty space near the far end. Parking her car, she turned it off and then stepped out, purse in one hand and her coffee in the other. Before she could even close the door, an arm went around her neck and she screamed, dropping her purse and coffee onto the ground. A hand went over her mouth holding a rag filled with chloroform, it knocking her out completely. The one who had grabbed her took her gun belt off and tossed it down before dragging her over to a car and tossing her inside. The car left the parking garage with Jessica in the back, not even being stopped on the way back out.

Eric and Horatio were watching the clocks in the lab, waiting for Jessica to come into the lab, knowing she was never late. "H, I don't like this, she's not here and something just doesn't feel right." The younger man said as he shifted a bit, his eyes still on the clock. Lifting his head, Horatio inspected the clock and then narrowed his eyes a bit, "Eric, when something doesn't feel right, that normally means that something is very wrong."

Not waiting for a response, Horatio ran out of the lab and started toward the parking garage where he knew she parked. Delko was right behind him as he ran, the two of them not wasting a second in heading toward the parking lot. Horatio ran into the garage as fast as he could toward Jessica's car, coming to a stop when he saw the spilled coffee and contents of her purse. Eric stopped beside Horatio, glancing over at his boss, "They took her…H, we've got to find her before she ends up like her brother."

Turning toward Eric with an intense look, Horatio narrowed his eyes, "That, Eric…that is not going to happen on my watch. Get Wolfe and Calleigh down here and process this scene, I want answers." Eric nodded and watched Horatio walked off from the scene, it was clear that there was more between him and Jessica than he was letting on. The whole lab could tell that the two had history, they just didn't know what it was, and now wasn't really the time to find out.


	6. Clavo Cruz?

A/N: This is a short chapter, but I'm working on the 7th chapter as I'm posting this one here. There may be mistakes and I'm sorry for that. However, the next two chapters should be finished and posted in a few days, I hope you all enjoy this story as much as I am enjoying writing. Thank you all for reading

Frank walked through the door of Horatio's office and paused where he was, looking at the Lieutenant for a few moments. Ten minutes ago they had found she had been kidnapped, and it was clear that the other man was completely shaken up. Clearing his throat a bit, he spoke up, "Horatio, we found a rag at the scene, its positive for chloroform." The red haired man glanced up at his friend and fellow officer with a blank look, "They took her, Frank, right from under our noses. I shouldn't have left her to come here alone."

Walking over to the desk, Frank sat on the edge of it and looked down at his friend, "Its not your fault they took her, Horatio. We'll find out who did this and get her back." Standing up from his chair, Horatio put his hands on his hips and looked out the window of his office. "I want her back here, safely, Frank. I don't care what it takes, we are getting her back where she is safe." Walking over to Horatio's side, Frank frowned a bit, "I know she's one of the team, and we protect our own, but there's something deeper here, Horatio, what don't I know?"

Ever since she'd come to the lab, Horatio had known that he would have to eventually tell someone about their past together. Turning a bit, he tilted his head down a bit before speaking, "I met Jessica in New York four years ago. The call came in while I was at the precinct, and I went along for the ride." Frank nodded, remembering the trip to New York that Horatio had went on, crossing his arms over his chest and waiting for the other man to continue with the story.

"She had been raped and beaten in her apartment, I stayed in New York to help catch the man who'd hurt her. A month after the attack, I went to check on her like every other day." Looking at his friend, Frank spoke up, "You two were lovers?" A nod from the red haired man confirmed Franks' thoughts, and he now understood why this car and this woman meant so much to him. Reaching out, he put a hand on Horatio's shoulder, "We'll get these guys, that's a promise, Horatio." He said before turning and walking out of the office.

For a few moments, Horatio stayed where he was, looking out the window of his office, his mind thinking about the woman he loved. Turning from the window, he left the office and headed toward the Trace Evidence lab to talk to Calleigh. He turned down the hall and came to the door, pausing before walking inside and over to the table where Calleigh was examining all of the evidence from the scene. "Calleigh, what do we have so far?" He asked as he looked over the things what belonged to Jessica, anger rising up in him even more now.

The younger woman looked up at her boss with a serious face, "I found a few partial prints on her belt, and I lifted one from the rag of chloroform, I'm running it through CODIS now." Horatio nodded and put his hands on his hips, "Very good, did we find anything else?" Calleigh shook her head and looked back at the computer, "Looks like CODIS found a hit on the print from the rag, so our guy's in the system." Lifting his head, Horatio looked over at the screen of the computer, "Who does that print belong to, Calleigh?"

She pulled up the profile for the owner of the print and her blood ran cold in a heartbeat, "Horatio, its Clavo Cruz." Fire flashed in Horatio's eyes and anger rolled through him, barely able to contain it, speaking in a very low voice, "Calleigh, get that report done for me, I am calling Frank." The southern woman watched him leave the lab and she shivered a bit, she'd never seen Horatio so mad before, and it was something she hoped to never see again as long as she knew him.

Not wasting a second, she filled out the report on the print and slid everything into a folder before coming out of the lab. She hesitated before approaching her boss, but she went to his side quietly and held the folder out to him, putting a hand on his arm for a moment before heading back toward the lab. Horatio accepted the folder and held it tightly in his hand before leaving the hallway and starting for Frank's office to give him the evidence report.

When he reached the office, he walked inside and dropped the folder on the desk in front of the detective, "That, Frank, that is a fingerprint match to Clavo Cruz. It was on the rag used to knock Jessica out." Frank picked the folder up and looked it over before standing up to his feet, "I'll get a warrant, meet me outside in five." He said before leaving the office to get a warrant sent over to the station, knowing that they had to get this one fast, he had a tendency to disappear if they didn't act fast. The last thing they needed was for Clavo to disappear on them, they needed to find Jessica as soon as possible.

Horatio left the office behind Frank, walking outside to the hummer and standing beside it, pulling his sunglasses from his pocket and putting them on. Clavo had been a constant thorn in his side, but now he'd went too far by taking Jessica. Not only that, but now that they knew he was involved with her kidnapping, there was also a high chance that he was involved with the murder of her brother. Last time, he'd escaped them, but this time there was no way out, not when an officer was involved.


	7. Interrogation Tactics

As soon as Frank Tripp had the warrants in his hand, he and Horatio left the parking lot, headed straight for Clavo's house. The drive there was tense, neither of the men speaking as Horatio wove through the midday traffic of Miami. Clavo was known to have killed people, steal, deal drugs, he was just not someone who should still be walking around out on the streets. The problem was that his so-called father had diplomatic immunity, which extended to his family as well.

What Clavo didn't know was that thanks to Horatio, his father knew that he wasn't truly his son, and this would be a major piece of the puzzle to putting him away. Horatio slid the Hummer to a stop in the driveway of the house, the police cars coming in behind him. Getting out of the vehicle, Frank walked up to the door and knocked on it, glancing over as Horatio walked up to his side. When the door opened, Clavo grinned, "What are you doing here, Caine? You know you can't just come up in here like you own the place."

Sliding his sunglasses off and resting his hands on his hips, Horatio smiled, "That's where you are wrong, Clavo. You see, I've got your prints on evidence and I have a warrant. Cuff him." Frank nodded and handed over the warrants to Clavo's father before pushing him up against the wall, searching him and then putting the cuffs around his wrists, "Clavo Cruz, you are under arrest for the kidnapping of CSI Officer Jessica Chase. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

A smirk crossed Clavo's mouth and he looked at Horatio, "You ain't got nothing, Caine. Diplomatic immunity." Turning his head toward the father, Horatio tilted his head a bit, "Do you still want to offer him immunity under your name?" Looking from Horatio to Clavo and then back again, the father turned his head, "He is no son of mine, Lieutenant Caine." Clearing his throat a bit, the red haired man slid his sunglasses back on, "Thank you for your time. Frank, lets get him out of here."

Frank nodded and led Clavo outside before putting him into the back seat of one of the police cars to be taken back to the station. Walking over, he got into the Hummer with Horatio and closed the door; "We've got him Horatio, now all we have to do is find her." Nodding a bit, Horatio put the vehicle into drive and headed back toward the station so that they could question their prime suspect.

When they got back, Frank went to get a room set up for questioning and Horatio went toward the lab to gather the rest of the evidence reports. Calleigh spotted him in the hall and walked over to him, "Horatio, I went over the rest of the evidence from the scene where Jessica was kidnapped." Turning to her, the older man nodded, "What did we find, Calleigh?" She held a folder out to him before speaking, "There was a substance on her belt that we identified as diacetylmorphine hydrochloride."

Horatio looked up when he heard Calleigh's words, "Heroin, what else did we find out from that belt?" The southern woman looked up at him, "The heroin was part of a fingerprint that we matched to Clavo. He's the one who took her, Horatio." Nodding a bit, he closed the folder in his hands, "Good work, Calleigh." Not wasting a moment, he went down the hallway toward the questioning rooms; walking inside the one Clavo was sitting in.

"Come to let me go, Caine?" Clavo asked with a smart aleck grin at the lieutenant, crossing his arms over his chest. Horatio smirked and tossed the case file down on the table in front of the other man and then leaned on the table. "That right there, Clavo, proves three things. One, you put your hands on an officer. Two, you have been playing with heroin. And three, my CSI is missing and you know exactly where she is." He said as he stood up straight and rested his hands on his slim hips, staring straight at Clavo, "You have two choices, you tell us where she is right now and we lower the charges, or you can go sit in prison for the rest of your life."

From beside Clavo, his lawyer leaned over and whispered back and forth with the man before he looked at Horatio, "If he tells you what he knows, you drop the drug charges." Tilting his head a bit, the red haired man looked at the two of them, "That can happen, but if he lies to us or she is harmed, the charges stick along with everything else our evidence says." No one moved for a few minutes before the lawyer finally nodded to his client, telling him to start talking.

"The stupid bitch is getting what she deserves, Caine. She snoops around too much for her own good." Clavo said as he smirked and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest, mocking the red haired detective. "I don't have to tell you anything, she can stay where she is for all I care, and she's in good hands you know." Horatio's anger flared and he looked over at Clavo, containing himself as much as possible, knowing that letting his anger get the best of him right now would not be good for the investigation.

"I am not playing, Clavo. You tell me where my C.S.I. is, or you will not live to regret it because I will see you with a needle in your arm by midnight tonight." The tone of his voice was low and dangerous, showing that he clearly meant business. "Lieutenant, don't threaten my client." Turning his head toward the lawyer, Horatio leaned forward a bit, "That, my friend, was not a threat, that was a promise. When I make a threat, you will know it."

Clavo leaned forward and grinned at Horatio, "Don't worry, Caine, I'm sure she's being taken care of, moaning like a little whore." Not able to look at Clavo without attacking him, Horatio stepped to the door of the room, "Eric, get me the DA, Clavo Cruz has a date with a needle." Looking over at his boss, Eric nodded and took his cell out, dialing the number for the district attorney. Stepping back into the room, the lieutenant rested his hands on his hips, looking out of the window.

"This is your last chance, Clavo, you tell me where she is or you will be on a table with a needle in your arm. We have more than enough evidence for that, so don't play games with me." Horatio stated as he glanced back at Clavo, keeping his hands on his hips so he didn't reach out and touch someone, and not in a nice way either. The lawyer looked scared to death, and Clavo was beginning to look unsure of how safe he really was after what Horatio had said.

"Alright Caine, there's a warehouse down by the old docks, she's there. But I want the needle off the table." Clavo said as he watched the older man carefully, not liking the idea of the lethal injection one bit. Tilting his head a bit, Horatio slid his sunglasses on and turned to walk out of the room, "When we find her safely, the needle goes off the table, but not until then. Officer, find Mr. Cruz a cell and keep him there until we find Miss Chase."

"H, did he tell us anything?" Eric asked as he walked over to meet his boss as he came out of the interrogation room. Looking over at the younger man, he nodded, "The old docks in a warehouse." Nodding to Horatio, Eric hurried down the hallway beside his boss, Calleigh and Ryan falling in behind them with their C.S.I. kits, ready to go and save one of their own from who knows what. They weren't asking questions about Horatio's emotions for their team member, but it was looking like the answers would become clear soon enough.


	8. Her Suffering

A/N: I know that this chapter is a bit sketchy, especially with the questions her captors ask her, but it will all be explained in the next few chapters. Be patient with me, I've started a new job and a new college course, so I've been pretty busy. I promise to get more chapters done on this story as they come to me, though it shouldn't be hard, I love CSI Miami and writing about it comes natural to me, it just takes a while to get time to write, lol. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the storyline up to this point.

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Jessica started to wake up not long after her kidnappers took her into the warehouse, Clavo's role was to abduct her and bring her here. The rest of the plans were to be carried out by the two men that were left at the location. Her head was aching and she felt sick to her stomach, trying to sit up, but finding that her hands and feet were bound by what felt like rope. She opened her eyes but only saw darkness, feeling her stomach lurch, she rolled as much as she could to get to her knees before throwing up.

One of her kidnappers heard her and walked over, chuckling low in his throat, "Looks like the bitch finally woke up." It was a voice she didn't recognize at all, but she didn't say anything at all, intent on keeping her mouth shut. She felt a hand grab her neck and she nearly jumped, but managed to keep from it, the hand tightening around her throat.

Closing her eyes again, she fought to breathe against the hand around her neck, gasping and choking to get air into her lungs. The men laughed as she tried to breathe, taking pleasure in her current state of suffering. One of them leaned close to her face, causing her to try and move back from it, only to have the hand on her throat tighten even more, making her world spin. "So, tell me, C.S.I. Chase, does the Lieutenant make you scream when he does you?"

The mention of Horatio made her tense up, these men knew too much about her past with him, and it was something she didn't like at all. When she didn't supply an answer, the hand left her throat, allowing her to drag air into her lungs, coughing violently as she tried to recover. She wasn't prepared when a fist hit her jaw and knocked her back with force, tasting blood in her mouth from the force of it. "You'll answer when we ask you something, you stupid whore!"

Tears stung her eyes, but she blinked them away from behind her blindfold, not even thinking of cooperating with these men. Getting back to her knees, she spit blood from her mouth, but didn't move again other than that. A hand grabbed her hair and jerked her off of whatever she'd been sitting on, dragging her across the floor and over to what sounded like chains. Fear welled up inside her and she closed her eyes, praying that Horatio would come and rescue her soon.

She felt herself being lifted to her feet by her hair, not making a sound as the ropes on her hands were cut and quickly replaced with handcuffs. The sting of metal biting into her wrists made her tense up, they had purposely made the cuffs tight around her wrists to inflict more pain. Her arms were above her head now, leaving her body open to any attack they wanted to exact on her.

"Turn her around, if she won't talk, we'll make her scream instead." One of them said before she felt tension pull at her arms. The second man was pulling the chains to suspend her in the air, the biting of the cuffs only becoming more intense now, breaking skin and making small streams of blood trickle down her arms. She was turned around and then felt her shirt get ripped off of her body, exposing her softly tanned skin.

What she was not prepared for was the loud crack and the sudden pain that flared out across her back, making her gasp in pain. Her captors laughed and struck again, causing more pain this time, tears starting to slip down her cheeks. The whip struck her over and over again, cutting into her soft flesh and leaving deep wounds all over her back and shoulders. Blood flowed freely from the wounds, but she didn't make a sound no matter how badly it hurt.

"Alright, that's enough. Ask her again." For the moment, the whipping stopped and she dragged in a shuddering breath. One of the men leaned close to her ear, "You won't answer our questions, but you'll answer this one. Does Lieutenant Caine make you cum when he takes you? Think before you answer, bitch, or we'll kill him." Her heart nearly stopped at the very thought of losing Horatio, it was a fear that she never wanted to live through.

Jessica swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly being dry from the fear she was feeling right now, "You can't kill him, he's too smart for you punks, he'll kill you first." As soon as the words left her mouth, she almost regretted them, feeling one of them punch her in the stomach. It didn't stop with the first wave of pain, she was hit four more times before the man backed off again. She would be bruised after that, badly if the pain was any indication.

"Go find Caine and shoot him, make him suffer before you kill him." The sound of footsteps leaving the area made her jerk her head up, despite the pain. "No! Stop it, don't kill him! I'll do anything, just don't kill Horatio!" She cried as she closed her eyes, thinking about the man she loved and how much it hurt her to think they would actually kill him. The footsteps stopped and came back toward her, making relief flood over her, for now Horatio was still safe.

A laugh came from beside her left ear and she tensed up at the sound of it, "Now that we understand each other, you'll tell us all about your time with Lieutenant Caine." Her heart ached for him, but all she could do was hold on until he found her, and she knew that he would do that. "I haven't been with Horatio, or any man since he left New York four years ago." Another punch hit her stomach and she coughed violently from the force of it, knowing that at least one rib was broken now.

"When I want to know a timeline, I'll ask for one! Now answer the question!" The man yelled at her before slamming her back up against the wall. Pain radiated from her whole body when she was shoved against the wall, gritting her teeth from it. "Yes, damnit, he makes me cum when he makes love to me!" Jessica cried as more tears cascaded down her cheeks from her pain. "You need to drop him and find someone worth having, who can really make you scream."

Fear and anger battled inside her, and this time the anger won out, "Horatio Caine is the only man who is man enough to make me scream his name in pleasure. You're nothing compared to him, you hear me, nothing!" Pain erupted from her left leg and she heard a sickening pop, her mouth had earned her a broken leg. It was in that moment that she came to realize that this was about more than just Horatio, something was deeper here.

These men wouldn't just inflict pain on her because she knew Horatio, something about this was deeply personal. She didn't know what was going on, or who these men were, but she had to keep them centered on her so that they left Horatio alone. The chain was loosened and one of them caught her before tossing her onto what felt like a bed. "The next time you decide to say something like that, I'll show you just how much of a man I am."


	9. Rescue Me

Horatio sped the Hummer down the streets of Miami as fast as he would dare to go at the moment, his knuckles white from holding the steering wheel so tightly. Frank was watching his friend with concern and awe, not having ever seen him like this. Turning the wheel, Horatio slid the Hummer sideways and down the paved road that led to the old docks. As soon as they were close, he cut the lights, not having had the sirens on this time, for fear of her safety.

Pulling to a stop, he got out of the vehicle and walked toward the entrance of the warehouse, drawing his gun from his side. Frank did the same, motioning the other officers to various locations of the area. Glancing at his CSI team, Horatio nodded to them, telling the five of them to back him up on this one. They nodded back, weapons drawn and ready to be fired if anything happened, terribly focused on what was going on.

From inside the warehouse, a scream sounded out and it caused Horatio to visibly pale and falter for a moment. Frank put a light hand on the shoulder of the Lieutenant to steady him before nodding toward the door. Without words, the two communicated and advanced on the old, wooden door, another scream sounding from inside, making Horatio's blood run cold. She was crying, scared and in pain, he knew it from the sound of her cry, it was one he'd heard before.

Not thinking clearly, he rushed the door and kicked it open, blue eyes flashing with fire, "Miami-Dade PD, let her go right now!" The rest of the team rushed inside to protect their leader, stopping short when they caught sight of their friend. Horatio, who had been leading the charge, was staring, his body shaking as he took in the scene that was in front of him.

Jessica was covered in blood, cuts and bruises, her slim body shaking, naked, beneath one of the men. "Horatio…maybe you should wait outside…" Frank said carefully as he went to move in front of the red-haired man, but was stopped with a firm hand on his arm. Putting his gun away, Horatio walked over, doing his best not to look at Jessica right now. Reaching out, he grabbed the man by his shirt and dragged him off of her, punching him right in the face before letting go of him.

Eric moved forward with Taylor and the two of them put the cuffs on the first man, starting to lead him outside while reading him his rights. The second man took off running, causing Calleigh, Ryan and Melody to take off after him, which meant the man had no chance of escape. Frank motioned the other officers out, standing silently behind Horatio, though keeping his distance. This was a dangerous situation, especially since he knew the history behind these two.

Turning his head, Horatio looked down at her and his heart shattered into a million pieces to see her like this again. Taking off his suit coat, he bent down and put it around her, pausing when she jumped from the touch. "Jessica, its me, I won't let anyone hurt you again…" He said softly as he took the blindfold away from her eyes. Reaching down, he lifted her up into his arms, turning and carrying her toward the exit, and the paramedics.

She cried softly and rested her head against his chest, so happy that he'd made it in time before anything too bad had happened. He took her to the ambulance and climbed inside, laying her down as gently as he could, sitting down beside her. The paramedics didn't say anything to him, closing the doors and heading for the nearest hospital. Glancing up, Horatio nodded to the medics and moved the coat away from her, their eyes locking.

While they checked her over, she never moved or made a sound, only keeping her eyes locked with those of the man she still loved. Reaching down, he gently touched her cheek, careful to not touch her more than he had to, in hopes of preserving evidence. When they arrived at the hospital, he got out of the ambulance and let them take her inside, pausing to speak to the doctor who would treat her.

After speaking to the doctor, he went into a small room and removed the clothes he was wearing, placing them into evidence bags. Picking up some fresh clothes, he put them on and then left the room to find out anything he could on Jessica. When he came into the waiting room, he stopped, meeting the faces of his CSI team. Eric was hugging and consoling a very distraught Taylor, who was crying silently against his shoulder. Calleigh and Frank were standing at the far side of the room, tears in the southern woman's eyes while Frank talked with her.

Melody was doing her best to be strong, and Ryan was rubbing her back lightly when she too finally broke down and cried. Alexx came into the room with worry written all over her face, going up to Horatio and putting a hand on his face, "Horatio, is she alright?" He took a breath and ran a hand through his hair, "I don't know anything yet, Alexx." She hugged him and he returned the light hug before stepping to the side and sitting down.

No one knew what to say, they were too shaken from the sight of her so beaten and weak, there were no words for their pain. The soft sounds of crying and soft talking filled the room, but all Horatio could hear was Jessica's voice. In his mind he was replaying their last conversation and wishing that he hadn't left her there alone. He felt tears sting his eyes and he wiped them away, closing his eyes and trying to calm himself.

They all jumped when a doctor came into the room, Horatio nearly leaping to his feet, heart pounding in his chest. "Is she alright?" He asked carefully, almost dreading any answer he might get from the doctor. "She has two broken ribs and a fractured leg. The wounds on her bad are deep but they will heal soon enough." Nodding, Horatio took a moment to process that information before lifting his head to speak again, "Was she…raped?"

The room turned dead quiet, no one wanting to see his reaction to the answer to that question if it turned out to be bad. "No, Lieutenant. She fought them off long enough for you to arrive, they didn't rape her." The doctor said as he looked at Horatio and put a hand on his shoulder. Relief of a strange kind flooded through him and he took a moment to compose himself again, he couldn't keep falling apart like this.

"She wants to see you, Lieutenant. I don't normally allow this, but I will let you all go and see her for a few moments. Lieutenant, I think you should wait and go in last." The doctor said before giving Horatio's shoulder a light squeeze and then leaving the waiting room. He sat back down and rested his arms on his knees, holding his head down. Calleigh walked over to him and knelt down in front of him, "Don't worry Horatio, she's going to be fine now. We'll go see her real quick so you can spend your time with her."

His team left the room to go see Jessica, leaving him alone in the room, pain causing his heart to ache badly. Thoughts of her filled his mind until a gentle hand on his arm shook him out of his thoughts, meeting the eyes of his ballistics expert. Standing up from the chair, he nodded to all of them before leaving the room, walking down the hallway toward Jessica's room. When he got to the door, he paused and prepared himself for what he would see.

Stepping inside, he closed the door behind him and walked over to her bed, sitting beside her and gently stroking her hair. Her eyes were closed, but the moment he was there, she stirred and spoke softly, "Horatio…" It warmed his heart that she knew he was there without seeing him, leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. Sliding down a bit, he laid down at her side, placing his hand into hers before letting out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. There was going to be hell to pay when she was well enough to tell him everything, no one was allowed to hurt anyone he loved and get away with it.


	10. Pushing Limits

For the past few weeks since Jessica had been saved, Horatio had rarely left her side for anything unless he had to. Guilt had ridden him hard, and he didn't want to end up making the same mistake twice in a row, not with her. A week after the kidnapping, she'd been released from the hospital, grudgingly agreeing to stay with Horatio at his home. The first two days had been hard for each of them, both adjusting to having the other be so close so them.

At the moment, Jessica was sleeping peacefully in the room she was sharing with Horatio, sleep being the aftereffects of her medication. The lieutenant was sitting on the bed beside her, watching over her as she slept. She was healing very well, and fast, which was a good sign for someone in her condition. Carefully, so he didn't wake her, he got up from the bed and walked out of the room. Pushing his light red hair out of his eyes, he walked down the stairs into the living room. Clavo, and the two men from the warehouse were behind bars for a very long time now because of what they'd done to Jessica.

That didn't satisfy him though; there was a reason why it had been her and not someone else. It concerned him that they had been able to find out where he was the weakest. She'd only been in Miami for a month when she'd been taken from the crime lab parking lot. The only thing he could come up with was that someone knew about their past in New York. If that was the case, and he was sure of it, he needed to find out where they had gotten the information from. Problem was, he had no idea who would have that information, and no leads as to where to start searching.

Taking his cell from his side, he dialed Eric Delko's number, waiting for an answer. "Delko." Came the voice of one of his most trusted CSI's. "Eric, I need you and Taylor to come watch over Jessica for a while." Horatio said as he glanced out of the window to the small children that were playing on the sidewalk. "H, is everything alright?" The younger man asked, clearly worried over his boss, as well as his friend. "She is just fine, but I won't leave her here alone again so soon." He said carefully, not wanting to get too deep into this right now. "Alright H, I'll call Taylor and we'll be right over." The line went dead and Horatio sighed, he needed to explain this to his team soon, they had the right to know now.

A light sound from upstairs brought his attention back to Jessica and he turned, climbing the stairs and walking into his room to check on her. She was sitting up in the bed, a slightly pained look on her face from the movement. He walked over and put a hand on her back, letting her lean back against his hand to help ease the pain she was in. "Its still early for you to be sitting up by yourself yet. I don't want you to get hurt even more than you are already." His words were chosen carefully so he didn't make her mad, that was the last thing he needed to deal with right now. Jessica looked up at him and nodded a bit with a light sigh, "I'm so tired of staying in this bed all the time, Horatio, I can't handle it."

Reaching down, he carefully slid one arm under her knees, the other resting behind her back as he lifted her out of the bed and into his arms. Her eyes closed and she rested her head against his shoulder. He carried her outside onto the balcony and put her down carefully so she could be outside for a little while. Moving behind her, he carefully put his arms around her waist to hold her up so she could stay on her feet, resting his chin on the top of her head with a light sigh. She smiled and leaned back against him, glad to just be outside and out of the bed for a little while. Being a CSI brought her all over Miami, and being confined to one spot was just annoying her to no end.

Eric and Taylor pulled into the driveway, and Jessica lifted a hand to wave at them with a smile on her face. Taylor grinned and hopped out of the car, waving back to Jessica a little frantically before coming up the steps that led onto the balcony. "Jessica, its so good to see you out of a bed." Both of the women laughed and then Jessica nodded a bit. "Trust me, I'm glad just to be out of one for a while." They smiled at each other and Taylor glanced up at Horatio, smiling at him as well.

Horatio nodded to her and shifted a bit, letting Jessica rest against him more comfortably, "Eric, Taylor, pleasure to see you both, thank you for coming." Eric came up the steps and smiled, leaning over and placing a soft kiss on Jessica's forehead, "Its no problem H, we're always willing to help a friend." Frowning a bit, Jessica turned her head to look at Horatio over her shoulder, "What's he talking about, Horatio?" He looked down at her, still holding her gently in his arms, "There is something I need to check up on, Eric and Taylor will be here while I'm gone."

Jessica's frown deepened and she turned in his arms, holding onto his suit jacket so she didn't fall, "You didn't tell me you were leaving, Horatio." Lifting his hand, he slid his fingers through her soft, brown hair, momentarily forgetting they had an audience watching them. It wasn't really a secret that they were together, its just that they hadn't told anyone except Frank. Her head tipped into his touch, but the frown stayed put on her face, "I don't want you to leave, you said you wouldn't, you promised me that much, Horatio."

His blue eyes met hers and his hand slipped to the back of her neck, his thumb brushing over her bottom lip in a gentle manner. Eric and Taylor were watching with wide eyes, their mouths nearly open down to the floor. A caring Horatio they could understand, but to see him with a woman like this, it was something they hadn't seen in a very long time. "You, sweetheart, you will be fine here. No one is going to hurt you, I promise." He said softly before leaning down and covering her lips in a soft, warm kiss, gently holding her up against his body.

A soft sound left her throat, her hands holding tightly to his upper arms, unable to hold him fully just yet. It was the first time in so long that he had touched her like this, and more so, kissed her the way he was doing now. All of her fear and uncertainty drifted away in the kiss, and she was left with her unending love for him. Slowly, he deepened their kiss for a moment, sweeping his tongue into her mouth to taste the sweetness that only she had. Jessica's knees trembled, her heart racing in her chest, desperately wanting this kiss to last forever.

He broke the kiss with her slowly, placing soft kisses against her lips as he leaned his forehead against hers. She licked her lips a bit, trying to calm herself from the emotions his kisses had stirred up inside her. Gently, he removed her hands from his arms, placing one last kiss on her lips, trailing it up over her cheek, stopping at her ear. "Jessica, I still love you." He spoke softly against her ear before letting go of her and leaving her in Eric and Taylor's care. His hand lifted his sunglasses from his suit pocket and he slid them into place over his eyes, stepping down the stairs toward his CIS Hummer.

She turned to look after him, wanting to reach out and pull him back, safety was with him, he was her protector. But his words had shaken her to the point of having no words, he still loved her, they were words she didn't expect to hear again. When he reached his Hummer, he opened the door, pausing to look back up to the balcony at her. Tears filled her eyes and she tried to take a step forward, stumbling and having both Eric and Taylor steady her.

Horatio almost ran back to her, but he held back, knowing that his CSI's would take care of her no matter what. Before he got into his Hummer, Jessica finally found her voice, tears in her eyes as she looked straight at him. "Horatio!" His name from her lips got his attention and he looked up, meeting her gaze, even from behind the sunglasses. "I'm still in love with you, I never stopped loving you!" The tears spilled down her cheeks as she said the words she'd wanted to say so many times in the past. A smile crossed his lips and he tipped his head toward her before getting into the Hummer and pulling out of the driveway.

Eric carefully lifted Jessica into his arms, carrying her back inside and putting her down on the bed before stepping back. Taylor stepped up and helped get her comfortable before she sat down beside the tearful woman. "Eric, I'm really thirsty, could you get Jessica and me some tea, please?" She asked softly as she turned to look at her partner, letting him know she wanted time alone with Jessica. Nodding, Eric smiled and left the room, heading downstairs to get them something to drink. When she was sure he was gone, Taylor looked back at Jessica and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

The action brought the brunette's attention to her co-worker and friend, her eyes holding a questioning look in them. "Jessica, I didn't know you were in love with H." She said softly as a smile crossed her lips. A blush settled over her cheeks, it had been years since she'd talked to anyone about being in love with Horatio. "I've umm…I've been in love with Horatio for a very long time." Jessica said softly as she leaned back against the pillows on the bed, his scent wrapping around her, comforting her even while he wasn't there.

"You guys just met though, how could you have been in love with him for a long time?" Taylor asked as she looked at her friend, thoroughly intrigued now. "I met Horatio when he came to New York to follow up on a case." She said softly, the memories from New York coming back into her mind like watching a movie on tv. Some of the memories were ones that she didn't care to ever think about again, but they were back and nearly choking her. Taylor saw the switch in her friend and reached out, gently taking hold of her shoulders, "Jessica, are you ok?"

Her mind was racing, the events from New York and from Miami were crashing into her, making her panic. Eric had just come back into the room, taking in the situation before putting the drinks down and hurrying over to the bed. Taylor gently shook her, trying to get her to snap out of it, "Jessica its Taylor, you have to calm down." Helplessly, they looked at Jessica, unsure of what was going on in her head, but knowing this wasn't a good thing. If she didn't snap out of it soon, they would have to call Horatio, he was the only person she seemed calm around these days.


	11. Moment Of Panic

Once Horatio left, he didn't waste any time in going toward the crime lab to check over some leads. Hearing Jessica say that she still loved him had made him the happiest man alive in Miami. It wasn't time yet for them to be together again, but he promised himself that soon, they would be. When she was healed completely, when the case was over, then he would make her his again. Her well-being was the only thing keeping him from restarting their relationship now. The only way to keep her safe was to love her from a distance until things were cleared up.

After getting to the crime lab, he parked the Hummer out front and shut the engine off. Opening the door, he stepped out and closed it behind him, starting up the sidewalk toward the building. Coming through the doors, he took his sunglasses off and put them in his coat pocket. Not wasting any time, he walked through the hallways to find Calleigh and have her check on some leads. He could rely on her to get the job done and be efficient about it. Pushing the doors to the ballistics lab open, he walked inside and went to where she was standing. "Calleigh, I have some leads I need you to look into for me." He said as he put his hands on his hips and looked over at her.

She turned and smiled at him before nodding, "Sure thing, Horatio. What am I looking for?" Thinking for a moment, he put his thoughts in order, "The men we arrested in the warehouse, I want to know who they're connected to." The blond nodded and crossed her arms over her chest as she turned to look up at him. "Horatio, are you thinking they followed her here from New York?" She asked with concern in her voice about Jessica. He frowned a bit and then nodded, "I don't know who they are, and we need to find out before she's safe."

"No problem, I'll get right on it, Horatio." She said with a smile before placing a hand on his arm and turning to close the evidence report she'd just finished. Horatio nodded and watched her, not sure what else to do but think. Every part of him needed to know who the men were that had held Jessica against her will. He needed to know why they had chosen her and how they knew she was so close to him. Something had to give in the case, it had to or she wouldn't be safe without him. That thought made him want to go running back to her, but he restrained himself.

Not even fifteen minutes after Horatio had left, Jessica had cracked, leaving Eric and Taylor in a panic. Memories from her past in New York were flooding her mind, along with ones from here in Miami. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she relived the moments, weakly trying to fight Eric and Taylor off of her. "Eric, we have to call Horatio!" Taylor called to him, near in tears herself as she tried to keep Jessica still so she didn't hurt herself more. Eric didn't want to interrupt Horatio, but he knew that Jessica's well being was more important to Horatio than he knew.

Opening his cell phone, Eric dialed the number for his boss, waiting for the other man to answer. Hearing the phone ring, Horatio took it from his side, a frown crossing his face when he saw the number. Flipping it open, he brought it up to his ear, "Eric, what's wrong?" Relieved to hear Horatio's voice on the other end of the line, Eric spoke up, "Something is wrong with Jessica, H. She won't talk and it looks like she's having flashbacks. What ever is going on in her head, it's not good, H." Concern gripped Horatio and he didn't respond as he closed his phone and turned, hurrying out of the ballistics lab. Not wasting any time, he wound his way back through the lab, his heart beating fast in his chest.

Going out the front doors, he jogged to his Hummer and opened the door, getting inside and starting the engine. Keeping as calm as he could, he pulled out of the parking lot and turned onto the main road. He was more focused than he'd been since the day she went missing, needing to get back home and see her with his own eyes. Her past from New York was a bad one and he didn't want her to relive all of those memories alone. If anything happened to her before he got there, he would never forgive himself for leaving her at home without him again.

After getting off the phone with Horatio, Eric had sat down on the bed, helping Taylor to try and hold Jessica still. She had started crying harder, begging for Horatio, almost like she didn't even know that they were there. It had Taylor worried a great deal, and she was just hoping that Horatio would hurry and get there. "Horatio please!" Jessica was screaming now, making Taylor move away from her, shaken to see her friend like this. Eric was doing all he could to hold her still, trying not to hurt her in the process of trying to help. All he could do was wait for Horatio to get there and then let him handle it, he just hoped the lieutenant got there soon.

It didn't take Horatio long to get back home, pulling into the driveway and parking the Hummer, shutting the engine off. Not wasting a minute, he got out and closed the door, running around the front of the Hummer toward the stairs. Taking them two at a time, he went through the balcony door into the bedroom, freezing when he heard her scream. Shaking himself out of it, he undid his belt and took his gun and badge off, handing them to Taylor. Pulling his jacket off, he put it on a chair and hurried over to the bed, crawling up onto it with Jessica. Eric let go of her and moved off of the bed, going to Taylor's side and putting an arm around her shoulders.

Horatio gently pulled her into his arms, holding her close and whispering softly into her ear, his fingers lightly stroking her hair. She knew when he was there, everything about him was comfort and safety, but even he couldn't stop the memories. Her hands gripped his shirt tightly, remembering the night in New York when she was raped. There was no danger now, but the memory would always be the same, and it led her back to memories in Miami. Even when she'd gotten out of the hospital, she hadn't told anyone about what happened at the warehouse. Only small details that didn't require her explaining more were answers she'd given.

Jessica remembered every movement, sound, and word that had been spoken or done while she was held captive. She carried some wounds that would be scars later, something to always remind her of what she went through. It had never been about her though; it had only always been about Horatio, using her to get to him. Even she didn't know what they had accomplished by getting caught and arrested, but she had a feeling there was something more at work. With the memories still flooding her mind, she couldn't talk to him, there was too much emotion shaking her. His voice soothed her though, letting her know that she wasn't alone through the memories.

Eric and Taylor had been quiet since Horatio had gotten back home, but Taylor was falling apart from having to see her friend like this. Looking at his boss, Eric met Horatio's eyes and without words let the older man know they were leaving. Gently, he turned and led Taylor out of the room and onto the balcony, closing the door behind them. "Don't tell anyone about today, I don't think H wants this to get out." Eric said quietly as he started down the stairs with her. "There has to be something someone can do for her, Eric. She's suffering, badly." Taylor countered as she let him lead her down the stairs, still visibly shaken.

"I think H is the only one who can help her, Tay. There are things that only he knows, if anyone can help her, its H." Eric said back to her as he opened the door to the Hummer he'd driven here, helping her in and then closing the door behind her. Horatio heard them leaving and he closed his eyes, holding Jessica tight against him. "Talk to me, sweetheart, don't leave me now." He said softly against her ear, needed to hear her talk so that he knew she was really ok. Slowly, and with all the will she had to block out the memories, she managed to calm herself. Locking the images out of her mind as far away as she could, knowing he would be there to keep her safe.

"That's it, sweetheart, calm down and talk to me." Lifting her head, she looked into his eyes, tears still coming from hers. Reaching up, he gently wiped them away and shifted until he was sitting up with her on his lap. She rested her back against his chest, feeling his arms go around her to keep her close, making her feel safe. "Tell me what happened, Jessica. All of the memories that hurt you, tell them to me and let me carry that." He said softly against her ear, one of his hands finding hers and giving it a gentle squeeze. She turned her head to look at him, seeing the gentle expression on his face, she finally nodded, agreeing to tell him everything now.


	12. Talk To Me

"You left me in New York, all you said was you had to leave and then you were gone. No calls, no letters, you just disappeared, Horatio." She said softly, trying to fight back tears at the painful memories. He felt guilty, he had walked out on her without another word, but he had done it to protect her from his enemies. Recent events had proven that his careful planning to remove himself from her life hadn't saved her. She had been kidnapped, tortured, beaten and nearly raped because she knew him. That much he had gotten out of her when she'd woken up in the hospital a few days after her rescue.

"I come here and then you're the boss, you've been here all this time. And you never told me, not once!" Jessica was agitated, and she had a right to be, he understood that and was quiet, wanting to let her finish talking first. "Then at the warehouse…they…" She faltered and he tensed up, gently hugging her closer to his body. Tears welled up in her eyes as the memories from the warehouse flashed through her mind again. It was something she hadn't ever wanted him to know about, but she had to tell him. The only way she could heal is if she let go of the things hurting her, all of them.

Closing her eyes, she fought her tears back, "They wanted to know about us, and things we did together. They asked me about sex with you, Horatio." He tensed up when he heard that, who would want to know those things about their time together? Keeping quiet, he thought hard about who could have wanted to torture her the way they had. He had to find out who was behind all of it, if he didn't she would never be safe from harm. "Sweetheart, whatever you told them, it's ok, I'm not upset with you." He said as he held her close to him, resting his head against hers with a soft sigh.

"Why…I don't understand why, Horatio!" She turned and buried her face against his shoulder. Closing his eyes, he shifted her, knowing she was in pain when she moved like that. Sliding down, he moved her onto her side and let her back rest against his chest, keeping her held close to him. "I will find out why, Jessica, I promise you that. I won't stop until I know who did this to you, and why." Horatio promised softly against her hair, hating that she was the one who suffered because of something he didn't understand, something he didn't even have the answers to right now.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with him lying there with her, listening to everything she had to say. She had talked and cried until she was completely drained of emotion and energy for the day. It hadn't taken long after that for her to fall asleep in his arms. For the first time in a while, she was sleeping peacefully. He was quiet while he lay at her side, lightly rubbing her arm while she slept. There were things she had told him that only he had ever heard before, things that tugged at his heart. Placing a light kiss on her shoulder, he got up from the bed without waking her, pulling a blanket over her to keep off any chill.

Leaving the room, he pulled the door closed and then made his way down the stairs into the kitchen. For a while he would let her sleep while she could, she had earned that much at least. Walking into the kitchen, he sat the kettle on the stove to warm the water for making some tea for her when he went to wake her. Staying quiet so he didn't wake her, he went around the kitchen gathering what he needed to make dinner for the night. He had taken over cooking for her as soon as he had been able to bring her out of the hospital. In the past, he had done the same for her, and probably always would if she needed him.

No one could ever question his love for her; even the ones who hadn't heard him say he did, it was clear when he looked at her. His blue eyes seemed to light up when she was in the same room with him. Calleigh had been the first to notice it when Jessica came to work at the lab with them. Every time Horatio would look at her, his eyes would nearly glow, and the ballistics expert was not blind to it. More proof was how he had acted while she had been missing, and when she had been in the hospital. Horatio was always professional, but where Jessica was concerned, he had been a different person entirely.


	13. I Still Love You

Jessica woke up a few hours later, feeling better but still tired, the sound of Horatio's voice greeting her ears. He was standing outside on the balcony talking to Eric on his phone, his back turned to her. For a moment, she stayed quiet where she was, just watching him while he talked. It was rare for anyone to see him like this, relaxed but still completely in control of everything around him. Outside of work, he dressed the same most of the time, sticking to what he knew best. That night he was shirtless, loose white pants resting just a little low on his slim waist. She smiled softly at the image he presented her with, a rare glimpse under the mask that he usually wore around other people.

"Eric, what did Calleigh find?" His voice was all business, but the underlying tone was one he used for people he respected. There was a short pause and then he shifted a little, "Very good, follow up on that, keep me posted." Bringing the phone away from his ear, he flipped it closed and turned around. Their eyes met and he smiled softly, walking back into the bedroom and closing the balcony door behind him. She returned the smile, staying on her side for the moment, as it didn't require moving. Putting his phone down on the dresser, he walked over and sat down on the bed, brushing a strand of hair away from her face, "You slept for a long time, you had me worried. How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright, still a little tired though." She said quietly as she reached up and caught his hand in her own. He nodded, letting her take his hand, watching as she meshed their fingers together and gently squeezed his hand. "Are you hungry? I believe dinner is still warm if you're interested." A light smile curved his lips as he looked down at her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze in return. "Dinner sounds great." She said back to him, resting her head back against the pillow and releasing his hand. Lifting her hand up, he pressed a soft kiss onto the back of it before releasing her hand and standing up.

He glanced back at her before disappearing from the room to go and get something for her to eat. Jessica watched him leave the room, carefully turning onto her back with a soft sigh from the pain that was still there. Using the strength in her arms, she pushed herself up into a semi-sitting position on the bed. There were still so many unanswered questions about what had happened to her. She felt so helpless since the attack and kidnapping, the only time she ever felt safe anymore was when Horatio was by her side. It bothered her to have to rely so heavily on him again, it was like being in New York all over.

Closing her eyes, she slid a hand through her hair before looking around the room again, tilting her head a little. Everything here was so much like him, even with her things mixed in with his things now, it still screamed Horatio Caine. Smiling a little, she realized that she liked seeing her things mixed with his again. In a way, it was almost like they were together again, like things were years ago. He had told her he still loved her, things hadn't changed so much that he would lie to her about something like that. It was true, she knew that for a fact, and she also knew that she was still in love with him too.

The sound of footsteps broke her train of thought and she smiled when he came back into the room with a plate in one hand and a glass of water in the other. Putting the water down on the bedside table, he sat down beside her with a smile of his own. "Something smells wonderfully Italian, the suspense is killing me, what is it?" She asked with another smile at him, eyeing the plate that he was still keeping out of her reach. Horatio laughed and leaned closer to her, speaking softly, "Shrimp Fra Diavolo, your favorite." Jess nearly melted at the sound of his voice, biting her lower lip a little.

"You remembered how to make it, amazing man that you are." She finally said back to him, eager for him to let her try the dish. The smile still in place on his face, he brought the plate down and lifted the fork with his free hand. "Close your eyes and open your mouth." He said quietly as he arranged a bite on the fork. She did as he asked, closing her eyes and opening her mouth, loving the familiarity they had with each other. Carefully he slipped the bite into her mouth, watching her lips close over it before he slid the fork back out. Jess could have sworn she was in heaven; the man could cook better than she could most of the time.

Many people didn't know that she was actually half Italian, on her mother's side, her father having been an American. When she swallowed what was in her mouth, she opened her eyes and smiled at him, "Amazing, it's perfect." Pleased with her answer, he held the plate out to her with a smile of his own, "Eat, I'll get your medicine." Nodding, she took the plate into her hands, looking up at him in an adoring, and grateful way. "Horatio, when I'm finished, can we talk about something?" Tilting his head a little, he nodded as he stood up, "When you're finished, sweetheart, we'll talk."

She smiled at him again as he disappeared from the room a second time, leaving her in the quietness of the house again. Lifting up the fork, she couldn't stop smiling at how much he'd put into the dinner that night. The flavors reminded her so much of being at home with her mother when she was still alive. Before she'd met Horatio in New York, her mother had died from a rare form of cancer that had ravaged her body completely. Shortly after, her father had been involved in a car accident that killed him instantly, before she had even turned eighteen, she had lost both of her parents.

Her brother, the only immediate family she had left, had done what he could to care for her until he'd disappeared. At nineteen, she'd been attacked and raped in her home in New York, meeting Horatio during that time. Now here she was, back with the only man she had ever loved, all of her family in America dead now. For a moment, she felt an overwhelming sense of grief and loss, but she quickly pushed it to the back of her mind. She focused on eating quietly, knowing it was best if she didn't dwell on the past right now. Horatio would solve her brother's murder and her attack it would just take time to find the right leads to follow.

Leaning back against the pillows, she continued to eat quietly, enjoying the peacefulness of Horatio's house. There weren't a lot of neighbors around, and the few that were nearby were very nice people. It was the kind of neighborhood that parents would want their children to grow up in because it was so nice here. She felt her heart ache a little at the thought of children, which was one thing she had always wanted with Horatio. Shaking her head, she fixed a light smile on her face as he walked back into the room. He sat down beside her again, putting the pills on the table beside the water.

Finishing with her dinner, she sat the plate aside and picked up the pills, getting them down before looking over at him. "I want to ask you something, Horatio." She said softly as she tucked a bit of her hair behind her ear. He nodded, blue eyes meeting her darker ones, waiting for her to ask her question. "Earlier, before you left…you told me you still loved me…do we have another chance? I mean, if you don't want to try its ok, I would understand. With you being my boss and everything I know it might be against company policy or something and…" His mouth over hers cut her off quickly and effectively.

She melted instantly into his kiss, her eyes fluttering closed, and one hand lifting up to rest on the side of his face. It seemed like the kiss lasted forever, and she wished that it wouldn't ever end again. Slowly, he broke the kiss and looked down into her eyes, "I do still love you, sweetheart, I never stopped loving you." Tears welled up in her green eyes and she bit her lower lip gently, threading her fingers through his hair. "Horatio, I want you back in my life, I need you." She said softly, doing her best not to let herself break down crying right now, she was just full of too many emotions at one time.

Gently, he slid her down until she was laying down again, moving to lay down beside her, watching her quietly. Reaching up, she slid one of her hands to the back of his neck, pulling him down into another kiss. He went willingly, careful of where and how he moved so that he didn't hurt her. As always with her, he was gentle and slow, letting her have nearly all of the control. It was long minutes before she finally released him from the kiss, her lips soft and red from his kiss. Horatio smiled down at her, dropping a kiss on her forehead as he reached up and turned the lights off.

Shifting a bit, he moved until he could hold her comfortably for both of them, his head resting against hers. Closing her eyes, she meshed her fingers with his, "I love you, Horatio." A light smile curved his lips and he gave her a gentle squeeze, "Sweetheart, I love you too." It wasn't long before she drifted back to sleep in his arms, safe and secure. He held her close, listening to her breathing for a few minutes before he finally closed his eyes and fell asleep holding her.


	14. A Step In The Right Direction

Horatio slept the whole night with Jessica cradled protectively in his arms, it was the only time he could relax completely and rest. Any other time, if she wasn't in his sight or his arms, he was finding that it was impossible to sleep at all, he needed her with him. Even though he had rested with her, his mind had not stopped going over the evidence, trying to piece together everything he could. Somewhere, there was a piece of the puzzle missing, Clavo wasn't a mastermind criminal as he wanted everyone to think. True, he might have wanted revenge, but Horatio just knew that a kidnapping, beating and attempted rape wasn't in Clavo's scope. No, he would have shot and killed Jessica to make a point, at least that was something that was comforting, whoever had ordered her kidnapping didn't want her dead. Which only meant they wanted him dead and had intended to use her as a way to get to him so that he would make a mistake and get himself killed. This was the kind of person he didn't like having to go up against, there was too much of the unknown on his end, he had nothing to go on yet, no leads toward anyone other than Clavo.

The ringing of his cell phone roused Horatio from his sleep, gently slipping from her arms and out of the bed to go and answer his phone. He flipped it open and stepped out of the bedroom, quietly closing the door behind him, "Do we have something, Mr. Wolfe?"His voice was tired, almost strained in the way he spoke, lacking the calm, even tone he would normally have had about himself. Ryan hesitated for a few seconds, he didn't know how to reveal what needed to be said, "H, Clavo's been running his mouth in lock-up, an informant says he knows who planned everything against Jessica, but he refuses to talk." Anger welled up within the lieutenant, he needed those answers to keep her safe, to end all of this, and he couldn't just let the opportunity slip away. Raking a hand through his hair, he took a slow breath to reign himself in, "Have Frank escort him to a room, I'll be there soon." He didn't give Ryan a chance to reply, closing his phone and walking back into the bedroom as quietly as he could manage so that he wouldn't wake Jessica from her sleep.

It didn't work though, a pair of blue eyes were gazing at him when he lifted his head, unable to keep from smiling at the sleepy face that greeted him. Rubbing her eyes sleepily, she yawned a little, "Who was calling so early, Horatio?" Walking over to the bed, he sat down beside her, brushing aside the stray strands of hair that fell across her face, "It was Wolfe, apparently Clavo has been talking in lock-up. There is someone who claims they know who is behind all of this, and I need to go and get that information." She was in movement before he could stop her, trying to sit up in the bed with a hiss of pain that reached all the way to his heart. Gently, he shifted her and helped her to sit up, propping pillows behind her back to make her as comfortable as he could, "You're not coming with me, I need you to stay here where it's safe." Lifting his hand, he put a finger against her lips as he started to speak, "No arguments, sweetheart. I know you can take care of yourself, but for right now just let me be the one taking care of you until you're well enough to take on the world again." He could tell from the look on her face that she wasn't pleased with being taken care of like this, she wanted to be part of the case and it was driving her crazy that she couldn't be.

Reaching up, she took his hand and brought the back of it against her mouth, "I don't like it, Horatio, being protected, not being able to work on the case...I just don't like it." Freeing his hand from hers, he cupped her chin and tipped her head up, "I know you don't, but even if you were well enough, I couldn't let you work on this case and you know it. As soon as you're able, I'll let you come back to work, but for now I just need you to stay here and rest, get better for me." Leaning down, he brushed his lips against hers, pleased when he felt her small hand slip through his hair to pull him closer as she kissed him back. It was easy to get distracted by this woman, and he knew he wouldn't be able to pull himself away from her at all if he didn't let go now. The need to stay with her, hold her close and kiss her to show her how much he'd missed her was there, but the greater need was finding out who was behind all of this so that he could be safe again. He stroked her cheek with his fingertips as he moved back and broke their kiss to gaze down at him, "I'll have Eric to come and stay with you until I get back, you get some rest." Sighing heavily, she nodded and managed a light smile, "Just...hurry back home, I miss you when you're not here with me, Horatio."

He couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips at her words, it wasn't often that she admitted she needed someone, and while she hadn't said those words exactly, he knew what she meant. Stealing another kiss from her lips, he stood up from the bed and walked to the closet to get his clothes, "It won't take long, I'll be home again soon." Jessica watched him with a mixture of worry and pride, she wanted him to be as safe as he wanted her, but at the same time she looked up to him because he was so good at his job. Nothing kept him from solving a case, no matter how hard it was he wouldn't give up until he had all the facts and the bad guys locked away. This time it was more than his sense of right and wrong, more than a sense of duty, she knew it was because he loved her that he was so adamant about this case. In all the world, nothing would keep him from bringing justice to the person who had put her life in danger and ordered these things done to her. She wanted whoever it was to pay too, but a larger part of her wanted that person dead at Horatio's feet for what they'd done. It wasn't just the physical pain, her dreams were plagued with memories of New York, and now these memories in Miami, and there was no real cure for that.

When he was dressed, Horatio stepped out of the closed and closed the door behind him, picking up his badge and gun as he looked back at her. Putting them in place along his waist, he adjusted his coat and smoothed his hair back, if it hadn't been vital to her safety he knew he wouldn't be leaving. Before he lost the ability to leave, he went to the bedroom door and opened it, stepping out into the hallway, "I love you." Fisting her hands in the blankets around her, she tried to smile at him, "I love you too...please, be careful.." He nodded and left it at that, turning and walking away before she crumbled the last of his willpower for the day. It hadn't been this way in New York, she hadn't had this kind of pull on his heart the way she did now or he would never have left her to begin with. Maybe that age old adage was true, that absence made the heart grow fonder, because he was awfully fond of her now. Not that he hadn't been before, but now it was just stronger, his love for her hadn't waned, if anything it had grown over time. Even when he'd agreed to marry Marisol, he hadn't felt the things for her that he felt for Jessica. He had cared for her in his own way, but the love hadn't been there, even if that sounded horrible he was honest about it.

Instead of mulling that around in his head more, he pushed the thoughts away and left the house before he changed his mind about leaving. That was the part that he had to reign himself in on, whoever had ordered Jessica to be taken would be waiting for him to break his routine, to do something he wouldn't normally do. He couldn't afford to take any chances this time, losing her for good was not an option no matter how he looked at it, she meant too much to him. The whole way to the station was driven in complete silence, his thoughts in turmoil over this case and over her safety even though he knew Eric would be there. Parking the Hummer out front, he gathered himself and stepped out, closing the door behind him, "It's been a long time, Horatio." That voice behind him made his blood run cold, steeling himself before he turned to face the blonde woman standing a few feet away from him. Reaching up, he slid his sunglasses off and took a slow breath, "That it has, Julia..what can I do for you?" A smile tugged at her lips and she took a few steps toward him, reaching out to trail her fingertips along his arm, "Can't I just drop in to see my ex-husband from time to time and talk about our son?" Those words had his defenses raised, nothing good ever came out of a talk with her and he knew that well enough by now.

Moving his arm out of her reach, he chose his words as carefully as he could, "Unless there is something of a concern with Kyle, I'll be on my way." Dropping her hand, Julia gazed at him almost as though she was hurt by the way he brushed her aside, "Would it hurt for you to spare a few minutes for me, Horatio? I've missed you." Tucking his sunglasses into the pocket of his coat, he looked back at her, "We were over a long time ago, Julia. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a job to do." Turning away from her, he started up the steps toward the main doors of the building to go do what it was he'd come to do, "It's another woman isn't it? That's why you can't look at me, you're afraid you'll fall in love with me again." Pausing on the top step, the lieutenant glanced back over his shoulder at her, "That, Miss Winston, is the least of my worries at the moment." Without another word, he left her standing there with a slightly shocked, yet angry expression on her face. He had just brushed her off without blinking, and she was less than pleased with that. Walking into the station, Horatio tried to shake off the negative feeling that had crept over him at Julia's presence in Miami. There were a number, a growing number, of reasons that he didn't want her in Miami or even in the state of Florida for that matter. She was Kyle's mother but that didn't mean she was a good person anymore, maybe at one time she'd been one, but that was different now.

It also meant that Ron Saris was in town with her, and wherever that man was, there was sure to be trouble popping up sooner or later. "Horatio, got the guy down in an interrogation room, he's still refusing to talk to us, says it'll get him killed if he opens his mouth up about who hired Clavo to kidnap Jessica." Frank said as he walked up to Horatio and handed him a file folder, shaking his head a little in exasperation from all that was seeming to happen at once. He took a moment to look over the small file before he handed it back to Frank, "If he's not talking, the one calling the shots is high enough up to cause fear, Frank. There are only a few people in Miami who fit that description." Both men walked into the room and Horatio sat down across from the man, calm and collected even though his mind was still racing, "Mr. Giles...I understand that you have some information about a case I'm working on. What do you know?" Shaking his head, the man leaned back in his chair, "I ain't got nothing to say to you, Caine, none of you cops are worth dying for." It took sheer force of will to keep his emotions and his rarely witnessed temper under control, and he knew it was only because Jessica's safety was a concern and the man had information they needed to keep her safe.

"You can tell us what we need to know, Mr. Giles, or we can bring in every high ranking criminal in Miami and give them your name until we find the right one." Horatio said in a rough voice that was just barely containing his anger, his eyes cold and completely unmerciful to anyone who stood in his way of making sure Jessica was kept safe. The man looked almost panicked at the thought of what it would mean for him if they did start bringing in the most powerful men in the crime world of Miami. He would be dead before dinner that night if they brought even one man in and gave them his name as the one who ratted on them. Still refusing to speak though, Horatio rose from his chair and turned toward the door, "Frank, get some warrants, we're going to start bringing people in." Fear laced through the man and he all but leapt from his chair, "Wait! Wait, I'll talk! I'll tell you what you want to know!" Looking over his shoulder, Horatio stayed where he was, "Start talking, Mr. Giles...if I don't get the information I need from you, I don't need to tell you again what happens."

Shaking his head, Giles held up his hands a little, "You put me somewhere they can't get to me and then I'll talk, Caine." Turning his blue eyes to Frank, Horatio gave a short nod of his head to the man before he stepped out of the room and took a breath. Frank walked out after him, closing the door with a frown, "I don't like this, Horatio, he could feed us a bunch of lies and have us chasing our own tails around the city." Turning to look at Frank, he stayed quiet for a few moments, "Keep him in that room until we get what we need, Frank. No deals until we get who's behind all of this." It was a long shot even then, but with that look on Horatio's face, Frank knew that he wasn't going to get his friend to budge on his decision. With Jessica in Miami, he was positive that he'd never seen Horatio be so focused on a case, so determined to bring someone to justice. If he hadn't already been told that they were in love, that they'd been lovers in the past, he would have known right then that Horatio Caine was in love. Deep down, he was glad they were friends, because he did not want to be on the receiving end of the lieutenant's anger, not where this woman was concerned.


End file.
